Pulling the Strings/Dragoon
The Basics You enter this BCNM at Mine Shaft #2716. It is capped at level 60. You'll be fighting one humanoid opponent, the Fantoccini, and occasionally its wyvern. You can fight the moblin in the arena if you want, but that's a bad idea. Equipment Here is one recommended equipment setup: Weapon: Grand Knight's Lance Ammo: Olibanum Sachet - This is the Elvaan male RSE throwing item. Another good suggestion is the Tiphia Sting, but if you can hit him well enough and you don't want the -evasion, leave it empty. Head: Valkyrie's Mask Neck: Chivalrous Chain Earring 1: Assault Earring Earring 2: Empty - Body: Scorpion Harness Hands: Spiked Finger Gauntlets - Drachen Finger Gauntlets wouldn't be bad, especially if you have a high parrying skill already. Ring 1: Victory Ring Ring 2: Victory Ring - You shouldn't have any trouble hitting the Fantoccini. Accuracy rings shouldn't be necessary. Back: Empty - A cheap leather mantle for the extra DEF would work. Waist: Potent Belt - A Life Belt could work too. Legs: Drachen Brais Feet: Drachen Greaves - For the Jump bonuses. Consumables For food Tavnazian Tacos are suggested. A big part of this fight is simply outlasting your opponent. The extra DEF and HP you get with the tacos will help with that. You don't need sushi. You should be able to hit the Fantoccini just fine. As long as you have some +accuracy gear, you'll be ok... as long as have +accuracy gear? Take Pamama au Lait to drink for regen. Recommended: bring 5 Hi Potion +3s. They may be needless to the experienced, but it's good to have them in case something goes wrong. For your first time doing this ENM, you might want to take more until you get the feel of it. You can always sell back the ones you don't use. The Strategy This strategy is fairly straight-forward. It rarely requires any deviation from the plan, though some possibilities will be in the Notes section. You'll need to have your 2hr ready for this. You see, the biggest problem other jobs have with this ENM is that it requires you to outlast the Fantoccini. You may hit harder than him, but he has a lot more HP. In this respect, Dragoons actually have it kind of easy. By using our 2hr ability, we can instantly refill our entire HP bar, giving us the edge and the time we need. It's kind of like having a Benediction that gives us more than just HP. Of course, you need to know how to time it in order to use it to its full effect. Here is what to do: 1. Use your food outside the battlefield. *If you use it inside then you start off missing the HP you gained from the food. Using it outside before you're capped means that won't happen. 2. Enter the battlefield and run down the incredibly long path to the actual arena. Use your Pamama au Lait. 3. Engage the Fantoccini. The Fantoccini will engage as soon as you set foot in the arena. *At this point he will not have a wyvern. He may never have one. To get one he has to have one of the random dice rolls tell him do use it. 4. Use Jump immediately. 5. Use High Jump immediately. 6. Wait a minute and a half for the Jump timer to reset. Use Penta Thrust when you have 100% TP. Drink your Hi-Potion +3s if you get really low. If you're coming up on the 1:30 mark, just wait. You'll have HP soon enough. 7. When Jump is ready, use it again. 8. Use Spirit Surge. Your Jump timers are reset. Your HP should be full. You should also have close to 300% TP. 9. Use Jump to lower the Fantoccini's defense. 10. Use High Jump for even more damage and TP. 11. Use Penta Thrust. Chances are good it's dead. 12. If it's not dead hit it another time or two. Since you have almost full HP at this point and it is really hurting, you don't need to worry about too much. Notes How to deal with the wyvern The wyvern is rarely called, and may only show up at the end of the fight. The damage it causes is not to be underestimated though. There are some options for dealing with it when it is called. What you do will depend on at what point in the battle it appears. *First, use Ancient Circle. *If the wyvern is called toward the end of the battle, consider ignoring it if you have HP to spare. Once the Fantoccini dies, it goes away. *If the wyvern is called before you use Penta Thrust for the first time, try to take it out with the weapon skill. You will still need two Penta Thrusts to kill the Fantoccini though. Instead of using Spirit Surge after Jumping the second time, wait until you have 100% TP (you should be fairly close) and Penta Thrust. Then continue with the plan as normal. *If the wyvern is called soon after you use Penta Thrust the first time, you'll probably just have to ride it out. See the Talk Page. So you want to be faster? The only way to be much, much faster at this ENM is to use an Icarus Wing. If you don't want to pay for one, consider completing the Bait and Switch quest in Bastok before you go. One of the possible rewards is an Icarus Wing. You can complete the quest once per conquest tally. A slight adjustment to the strategy The one above strategy is a reliable one, but there is another way. Before using Spirit Surge you should be at 80%-90% TP. You could wait the extra attack or two, Penta Thrust, then Spirit Surge, do your Jumps, and Penta Thrust using your wyvern's TP. This would almost guarantee victory with the third Penta Thrust. It is not recommended if you're low on HP.